Written Answers Thursday 22 December 2005

Scottish Executive

Bridges

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Deputy Minister for Finance, Public Service Reform and Parliamentary Business that the Minister for Transport and Telecommunications will inform the Parliament of the Executive’s proposals for dealing with possible structural issues with the Forth Road Bridge ( Official Report c. 20268), when it anticipates that such an announcement will be made.

Tavish Scott: Consideration is being given to the emerging findings from the bridge cable tests. We have commissioned an independent analysis of the work done to date and will wait until that work is complete before we make any decisions. I will keep the Parliament advised of progress at the appropriate time.

Care Commission

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will consult on the maximum fees to be imposed by the Care Commission in 2006-07.

Lewis Macdonald: We remain committed to the fundamental principles of the full-cost recovery policy for the Care Commission. These are that the cost of regulating each care service should be identified and that the costs should either be met by the services concerned or explicitly be subsidised by the Executive where there are policy reasons to do so, as we do in the case of childminders and children’s day care services.

  We are, however, aware of the impact of that policy on care service providers. That is why we have been working closely with the Care Commission on identifying the inputs and costs associated with the regulation of the individual care service sectors they regulate.

  We are also mindful of the Health Committee’s review of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001. That review will look at the Care Commission and the wider inspection regime, including funding issues.

  After carefully considering the implications of the commission’s work on fee levels, and in recognition of the Health Committee’s review, we have decided to freeze maximum registration and annual continuation fees at their current level in 2006-07. This means that fees for services currently regulated by the commission will remain below full cost recovery levels.

  The exception to the freezing of fee levels will be care homes. The fees charged by the Care Commission will be reduced by around 10% on current levels to around £148 per place. This change reflects the input now required by the commission to regulate these services in light of its experience since 2002.

  In order further to reduce the administrative and financial burden on care service providers I have asked the Care Commission to set the fee levels for variation, cancellation and a new certificate at nil for all services.

  The Care Commission will continue to strengthen its evidence base on the activity needed to regulate care services. This will help inform our thinking on future fee levels.

Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2004

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in reviewing the consistency of wording between the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2004 and the Marriage (Scotland) Act 2002 in respect of the age of witnesses at both ceremonies.

George Lyon: While there is a difference in the wording of the relevant provisions relating to the age of witnesses, the effect is the same. Registrars will always ensure that witnesses to civil partnerships and marriages are 16 or over.

Civil Service

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its relocation guide, published in June 2005, will ensure a fair distribution of civil service jobs around Scotland.

George Lyon: The relocation guide, published in June 2005, will contribute significantly to the three objectives of our relocation policy: government decentralisation and efficiency; cost-effective delivery solutions, and supporting communities with social or economic needs. Fair distribution of civil service and public service jobs is part of that first objective.

Communities Scotland

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the local authorities must comply with the obligation placed on them by Communities Scotland to lead the development of community learning and development strategies in partnership with other statutory agencies, the voluntary sector and communities.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The Scottish Executive guidance for community learning and development (CLD) Working and Learning Together to Build Stronger Communities, was published in January 2004, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre(Bib. number 38409). This guidance indicated that the overall responsibility for planning for CLD strategies rests with community planning partnerships, with local authorities expected to take responsibility for ensuring that arrangements are in place to set up and maintain partnership working at both strategic and operational levels.

  On behalf of the Scottish Executive, Communities Scotland, through its Learning Connections team, has responsibility for supporting the establishment of strategies. The guidance was issued to local authority Chief Executives with the expectation that community planning partnerships would develop strategies in the most suitable manner taking into consideration local community planning processes. Whilst timescales of development and delivery have differed there has been no indication of non-compliance with the guidance request. Thirty partnerships have delivered final strategies to Communities Scotland with a further two strategies awaiting final endorsement by their council and/or Community Planning Partnership.

Education

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the funding to employ additional teachers is being distributed to local authorities.

Robert Brown: The Executive is committed to increasing teacher numbers by 2007. Local Authorities share that commitment and will have available funding of £18 million in 2006-07 and £44 million in 2007-08 through the National Priorities Action Fund.

Education

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that education authorities ensure adequate provision for school nurses in primary schools to deal with young people’s health issues.

Robert Brown: Appropriate provision for school nurses is a detailed matter for agreement between local authorities, schools and health boards.

Education

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether special equipment and equipment adaptation for school pupils with learning needs are funded through the overall education budget or through a dedicated fund.

Robert Brown: The main Scottish Executive support for local authority expenditure on additional support for learning in schools, including special equipment and equipment adaptations, is provided through Revenue Support Grant. Specific grant funding is also provided through the National Priorities Action Fund to directly support the education of pupils with additional support needs, and this can be used for special equipment and equipment adaptation.

Efficient Government

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Ministerial Statement on the Local Government Finance Settlement on 23 November 2005 which referred to the desire to exert downward pressure on tax levels, when the Executive will specify the range of the baseline outcomes that have a direct beneficial impact on the people of Scotland against which the effectiveness of the Efficient Government initiative will be measured.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Ministerial Statement on the Local Government Finance Settlement on 23 November 2005 which referred to the desire to exert downward pressure on tax levels, when the Executive will publish the baseline outcomes against which it will measure the effectiveness of the Efficient Government initiative.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Ministerial Statement on the Local Government Finance Settlement on 23 November 2005 which referred to the desire to exert downward pressure on tax levels, how frequently it will publish the performance data for each of the outcomes it will use to measure the effectiveness of the Efficient Government initiative.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Ministerial Statement on the Local Government Finance Settlement on 23 November 2005 which referred to the desire to exert downward pressure on tax levels, whether it will publish the performance data for each of outcomes it will use to measure the effectiveness of the Efficient Government initiative in a time sequence that will enable performance over the entire course of the initiative to be monitored.

Mr Tom McCabe: The definition of efficiency is the relationship between outputs and inputs. Of course outcomes are important, and as I have said before, the Executive pursues them across the whole range of its activities. However, it would be very difficult for us to separate out which improvements in outcomes were directly and solely attributable to our Efficient Government initiative. All progress towards our efficient government targets is being measured against the 2004-05 baseline.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will involve trade unions in both the pre-qualification and tendering process for the contract to run the Clyde and Hebrides lifeline ferry services.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive intends to discuss with the STUC and relevant trade unions the integrity of the tender competition at all stages.

Fuel Poverty

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial resources and practical measures it is taking to alleviate fuel poverty this winter.

Johann Lamont: We are tackling fuel poverty in a number of ways, including improving the energy efficiency of homes through our central heating and Warm Deal Programmes. We encourage people to claim all the benefits and tax credits to which they are entitled; our central heating programme includes a benefits health check, and we have been pressing the energy companies to take action to protect their most vulnerable clients from the adverse effects of recent fuel price increases.

Health

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that those groups of people with the highest levels of coronary heart disease and the highest associated premature mortality rate receive equitable access to appropriate preventative treatments.

Mr Andy Kerr: These groups are found disproportionately in deprived communities. Delivering for Health gave a commitment to strengthen and enhance primary care services in deprived areas to reduce health inequalities. Prevention 2010 will target resources in these areas to allow proactive, preventative care to those at particular risk.

  Community Health Partnerships, with devolved responsibilities from NHS boards, will have a central role in co-ordinating and delivering multi-agency services to address the assessed needs of their population, supported by the provisions available to them in the new General Medical Services and pharmacy contracts.

  The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), introduced on 1 April 2004 as a fundamental part of the new General Medical Contract, is a mechanism for ensuring that groups of people with high levels of coronary heart disease are identified, targeted and receive appropriate preventative treatment. The QOF aims to improve the health of everyone in Scotland.

  We have asked the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network to develop a revised risk factor model, incorporating deprivation as a factor, which will help to target care to the people with a high-risk of coronary heart disease.

Health

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to issue an update to the Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy in 2006 and, if not, whether it will issue a new strategy.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive has a long-term commitment to cutting premature deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke in Scotland, and has a clear strategy to achieve this. We aim to reduce under-75’s mortality in coronary heart disease by 60% and in stroke by 50% by 2010. We are currently on target to achieve this – coronary heart disease mortality in the under-75s has fallen by 38% and stroke mortality in under 75s by 40% since 1995. The strategy also includes action to reduce the number of people who develop coronary heart disease or have a stroke, and to ensure that there is rapid access to high quality treatment for people who do. For instance, strategy funding has enabled all mainland boards to set up stroke units providing multi-disciplinary care for stroke patients.

  We are currently considering the implications of Delivering for Health for the implementation of the strategy.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Labour MPs in respect of future funding for Positive Action in Housing.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Minister for Communities has received one letter from Tom Harris MP, member for Glasgow South, requesting information about the funding of Positive Action in Housing from the Scottish Executive. Full information on funding policy, grants made and monitoring of expenditure will be provided in my response.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many former Ministry of Defence houses are now available to rent through local authorities and housing associations.

Malcolm Chisholm: We do not hold this information centrally.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the administration costs are expected to be for the Individual Learning Account (ILA) scheme in each of the next five years.

Nicol Stephen: Administration costs for ILA Scotland in year 2005-06 are forecast to be around £2.6 million, estimated to rise to £2.7 million in 2006-07 and £2.75 million in 2007-08. The administration costs are expected to reduce from 2006-7 onwards as a proportion of the overall budget. These initial cost forecasts will be updated in 2006, to reflect actual learner uptake and provider participation to date.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, following its consultation exercise in summer 2005, when it will announce its plans to reform arrangements for handling complaints about lawyers.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive will introduce legislation this session to establish a new independent body to handle such complaints. Our policy is that complaints from clients should be dealt with wherever possible by the law firm or lawyer who provided the service in question. The new body, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, will act as a gateway to receive those complaints about lawyers which cannot be resolved at source. The new body will take over the handling of complaints about inadequate professional service from the legal professional bodies, the Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman and the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal.

  The legal professional bodies and their discipline tribunals will retain responsibility for professional discipline. The commission will accordingly refer complaints about the conduct of lawyers to the professional bodies for investigation, but will have powers to oversee the way in which conduct complaints are handled. The commission will be led by a board which will have a non-lawyer majority and a non-lawyer chair.

  The arrangements we propose recognise the strong message from the response to our consultation that there should be an independent complaints handling body and that its powers should be vested in a board rather than a single officeholder. The new system aims to build public confidence in the system for handling complaints against lawyers while the commission will also have the role of promoting good practice in complaints handling by law firms and practitioners. The commission will be funded by the legal profession through a general levy on legal practitioners and a levy on complaints. Vexatious or frivolous complaints will be sifted out and will not be the subject of a levy.

National Parks

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage tourists to Loch Lomond to visit Scotland’s first National Park.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive is working closely with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, as well as with VisitScotland, VisitBritain, the local enterprise companies, the local authorities and the local business community to ensure that the park is effectively promoted.

People with Disabilities

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it plans to commission to examine why the trends in income poverty among disabled people appear to be rising.

Malcolm Chisholm: At present we have no plans to commission research on the specific topic identified in the question. We do of course closely monitor research on poverty and disability undertaken in the wider research community, and the statistical trends relating to low income households in relevant government surveys such as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Family Resources Survey (FRS) (formerly the Family Expenditure Survey).

Planning

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a review of National Planning Policy Guideline: NPPG 19 - radio telecommunications.

Johann Lamont: We intend to begin a review of our planning guidance on radio telecommunications development in late 2006.

Planning

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to publish draft regulations to define major and local developments before stage 3 consideration of the proposed Planning Bill.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is our intention to publish draft regulations defining the categories of major and local developments well before stage 3 consideration of the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill, which has now been introduced.

Police

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases Scottish police forces have investigated this year based on intelligence rather than evidence that a criminal act has occurred.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20911 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 December 2005 and in light of reports alleging the use of Scottish airports for CIA rendition flights, whether local police forces only require reasonable suspicion, rather than hard evidence, to investigate whether a criminal act has occurred.

Colin Boyd QC: Before the police can investigate an allegation of a criminal offence, they must have reasonable grounds to believe that an offence is being planned, is being committed, or has occurred. There must be credible and reliable information before the police can commence an investigation.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-21070, S2W-21071 and S2W-21072 by Cathy Jamieson on 7 December 2005, why historical data is not retained in respect of prisoners held in a regular prison who should be held in an open prison.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-21070, S2W-21071 and S2W-21072 by Cathy Jamieson on 7 December 2005, whether it will now consider instructing the Scottish Prison Service to keep historical data in respect of prisoners held in a regular prison who should be held in an open prison.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it is appropriate for the Scottish Prison Service not to retain historical data in respect of prisoners held in a regular prison who should be held in an open prison.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Establishments assess regularly prisoners whom they consider are suitable for transfer to open prison conditions. There is no operational value in the collection or maintenance of historical data on such transfers and to begin to collect this data would divert resources from front line services.

Public Sector

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18168 by Mr Tom McCabe on 25 August 2005, in what public sector projects, where it is possible to identify a computerisation or IT element of a value greater than £50,000, this element has exceeded its original estimated cost by over 50% in each year since 1999 and what the contracted cost of each such project was.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested on projects with a computerisation or IT element meeting the criteria set out in the question would be held by individual authorities and public sector bodies and there is no central record of computerisation or IT projects across the public sector.

  The Executive maintains a database of IT spend approved by the Scottish Executive Information Systems Steering Group (SEISSG).

  Since 1999-2000 there have been no SEISSG approved projects with IT elements of greater than £50,000 where cost exceeded the annual budget by over 50%.

Rail Services

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21051 by Tavish Scott on 8 December 2005, what plans it has to re-brand Strathclyde Passenger Transport and how much of the existing First ScotRail franchise budget will be put towards the costs of re-branding.

Tavish Scott: It will be for Strathclyde Passenger Transport and the new Regional Transport Partnership to decide what approach they wish to take for RTP West activities. The Executive has no plans to require that First ScotRail direct any of the existing franchise budget specifically to re-brand SPT.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had internal discussions on the matter of US agencies using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.

Cathy Jamieson: There have been a number of routine discussions primarily in relation to the answering of parliamentary questions and other enquiries on this matter.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many planes stopping over at Scottish airports, in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation, have been searched by the police to investigate these claims.

Cathy Jamieson: This is a matter for the police. Whether or not to undertake an investigation is an operational decision for the Chief Constable of the relevant police force.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate has instructed any police force to search any planes stopping over in a Scottish airport which is reportedly being used by the United States of America for rendition flights, in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of investigation.

Colin Boyd QC: The Lord Advocate has not issued instructions to any police force to search a plane under these circumstances and does not have authority to instruct search without warrant. The Scottish police have not received any specific reports of incidents involving so called rendition flights occurring at Scottish airports and have not submitted any reports to procurators fiscal.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the implications for it if planes being used by US agencies for the purposes of rendition flights, in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of investigation have stopped over in Scottish airports for refuelling, in light of the opinion of Lord Steyn that the United Kingdom and the United States may be guilty of war crimes if they were aware of such flights landing on British soil and their purpose.

Cathy Jamieson: It is an offence under Scots law to aid and abet an act which constitutes a crime in statute or common law. However, the Scottish Executive is not aware of any evidence to support allegations that the flights in question have involved any criminal activities. Where evidence exists to support allegations that war crimes, or any other crimes, have been committed within Scottish jurisdiction, or have been committed elsewhere by or at the instigation of a public official who is subject to Scottish jurisdiction, the police will be responsible for conducting appropriate investigations and reporting such cases to the Procurator Fiscal.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered its obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture in respect of the allegations that rendition flights organised by US agencies, in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation, have stopped over at Scottish airports for refuelling and, if so, whether it considers that there is any veracity in such allegations and, if so, what information it has on the destination of any such flights.

Cathy Jamieson: Torture is a crime under Scots law as required by our international obligations. The investigation of alleged crimes is a matter for the police.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would expect the police force with the appropriate jurisdiction to inspect a plane stopping over at a Scottish airport for refuelling if there was a suspicion that drugs or arms were being transported illegally on that plane.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would expect the police force with the appropriate jurisdiction to inspect a plane stopping over at a Scottish airport for refuelling if there was a suspicion that the plane was transporting individuals against their will to a country where they might be tortured.

Cathy Jamieson: The police will take such action as is necessary if credible and reliable information is received that a crime is being planned, is being committed, or has occurred within Scottish jurisdiction.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the definition of torture is within Scots Law and how this differs from the definition in the UN Convention Against Torture.

Colin Boyd QC: Article 1 of the UN Convention Against Torture states that; "torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions".

  The enactment of section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 incorporated the offence of torture into UK law. Section 134 replicates Article 1 of the Convention and provides that a public official or person acting in an official capacity, whatever his nationality, commits the offence of torture if in the United Kingdom or elsewhere he intentionally inflicts severe pain or suffering on another in the performance or purported performance of his official duties. The offence is committed regardless of the nationality of the official, the country in which the torture takes place, whether the suffering is physical or mental, and whether it is caused by an act or an omission. It is punishable by a maximum period of life imprisonment.

  Conduct as described in Article 1 may also constitute the common law crime of assault, which is also punishable by a maximum period of life imprisonment.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed the issue of US agencies using Scottish airports for refuelling for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation with either (a) Her Majesty’s Government or any of its representatives or (b) the US Government or any of its representatives and, if so, with whom such discussions took place and what their nature was.

Cathy Jamieson: Officials have had routine discussions with counterparts in the UK Government primarily in relation to the answering of Scottish parliamentary questions and other enquiries about these allegations. No discussions have taken place with representatives of the US Government regarding these allegations.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, the Scottish Law Officers or the Procurator Fiscal Service are considering investigating the allegations that US agencies may be using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.

Colin Boyd QC: As indicated in my previous answer to question S2W-21576 on 22 December 2005, to date, the police have not received any specific reports of incidents involving such flights occurring at Scottish airports and have not submitted any reports to procurators fiscal.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment of the details of the case being pursued by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the German national Khaled al-Masri, who alleges he was seized in Macedonia and taken to a US prison in Afghanistan in 2004 where he was tortured whilst being interrogated, when considering whether to investigate the claims that US agencies are using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.

Cathy Jamieson: Whether or not to investigate an allegation of any criminal matter is an operational decision for the Chief Constable of the relevant local police force.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International their allegations that US agencies may be transporting individuals suspected of being involved in terrorism to countries that practice torture to assess whether there is any veracity in the allegations that planes being used by US agencies for these purposes have stopped for refuelling in Scottish airports.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has not had any discussions with Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International regarding these allegations.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any member of the police has made representations to it requesting an investigation into allegations that US agencies may be using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is not aware of any representations from the police regarding this matter.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of US agencies using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.

Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21092 on 8 December 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is responsible for meeting any requirements of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation or whether this is a wholly reserved matter.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to any requirements of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Rendition Flights

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the move by the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester to launch a formal investigation into the use of rendition flights, it will recommend that Scottish chief constables hold similar inquiries in their own force areas as a matter of urgency.

Cathy Jamieson: This is an operational matter for the chief constables. I understand Scottish Police Forces are liaising with Association of Chief Police Officers, in the examination and analysis of the available information. I am confident that they will act upon any specific and credible information that justifies further investigation.

Renewable Energy

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage the use of solar power.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is committed to the development of a wide range of renewable technologies including solar power.

  We fund the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative to provide expert advice and financial assistance to householders and community groups installing renewable technologies. Since its establishment in 2002 the initiative has supported 346 projects involving solar power.

Road Accidents

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the accident safety record on the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Tavish Scott: No. The number of people who have been killed is unacceptably high. That is why we have undertaken a full accident analysis to inform further improvements over and above the £40 million investment over the next three years.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cumulative collection rate was for student loans from Scottish domiciled borrowers in 2003-04.

Nicol Stephen: Due to the nature of Student Loan repayments it is not possible to give a definitive cumulative collection rate. For the Year 2003-04 the amount of student loans collected from Scottish domiciled borrowers was £49,748,000 of which £32,654,000 was towards public debt and £17,094,000 was towards private debt.

  Source: Student Loans Company.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20430 by Allan Wilson on 16 November 2005, whether it will now review the answer to question S2W-14031.

Nicol Stephen: There are currently no plans to review the answer to question S2W-14031.

  There is a legal requirement on the debtor, which includes student loan borrowers, to inform their trustee, who administers the sequestration and acts on their behalf, of their assets and liabilities. If the Student Loans Company has been listed as a creditor the trustee will inform the Student Loans Company that an award of sequestration has been made.

Sustainable Development

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that young people contribute to ensuring the sustainability of the environment for future generations.

Rhona Brankin: Choosing Our Future – Scotland’s Sustainable Development Strategy sets out how we intend to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills and knowledge to make informed, sustainable choices. Examples of action include our commitment to increasing the numbers involved in the Eco-schools programme and joint work with the Scottish Higher and Further Education Funding Councils to promote sustainable development in universities and colleges.

  Copies of the strategy which was published last Wednesday (14 December) are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38440).

Waste Management

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on excluding tallow from the scope of the Waste Incineration Directive, in light of its support for the UK Government’s representations to the European Commission on the matter.

Rhona Brankin: I understand the European Commission has recently awarded a contract to examine whether there is scientific evidence to support the exclusion of waste tallow from the Waste Incineration Directive on environmental and public health grounds. This study is expected to be completed next summer.